Your inbox approves Men's coaches poll Women's coaches poll Play to win 25K!
SPORTS
Buffalo Sabres

Sabres return Sam Reinhart to junior team

Mike Brehm
USA TODAY Sports
Buffalo Sabres center Sam Reinhart  signs a jersey for a fan.

The Buffalo Sabres decided that Sam Reinhart will be better off developing in the Western Hockey League.

The No. 2 overall pick was returned to his junior team in Kootenay on Friday.

He had played nine games this season and if he had played a 10th, he would have burned the first year of his entry-level contract. Because of Reinhart's age, Kootenay was his only option if he wasn't going to stick around with Buffalo.

During his nine games with the Sabres, he had one assist and averaged 10 minutes, 21 seconds a game.

In Kootenay, Reinhart will have a chance to be a dominant player, get significant ice time and work on getting stronger. He had 105 points in his draft year.

All things Sabres: Latest Buffalo Sabres news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

Plus, he will avoid playing for a Sabres team that will obviously struggle this season, though Kootenay is off a poor start (3-12), too.

Featured Weekly Ad